HINDU PRIEST JAILED IN US FOR VISA FRAUD

HINDU RELIGIOUS LEADER 

JAILED IN US FOR VISA FRAUD

http://www.indiatvnews.com - (Washington) A Hindu from India who had established a temple in Milwaukee city of the US state of Wisconsin, has been jailed for 37 months for religious visa fraud and would be deported to his native country after serving his sentence. A Milwaukee court gave its sentencing order after it found Sagarsen Haldar, aka Gopal Hari Das, who is the founder, president, CEO and spiritual leader of Gaudiya Vaisnava Society (GVS), guilty of fraudulently obtaining religious worker visas - known as R-1 visas - for Indian nationals in exchange for substantial cash payments. 
According to evidence at trial, Haldar conspired to sponsor more than two dozen Indian nationals to enter the US under R-1 visas. Typically, the R-1 applications falsely stated that the individuals were religious workers from India who planned to be priests and perform religious work at the GVS temple in Milwaukee, the court was told.

In fact, the Indian nationals had no religious training or experience, and they had no intention of being priests or performing religious work once they arrived in the United States, it was told. In the scheme, Haldar charged Indian nationals as much as USD 30,000 each in exchange for his assistance to fraudulently obtain R-1 visas. The fraudulent priests typically made substantial cash payments to Haldar and his associates in India, and were indebted to him for the balance once they arrived in the US. They worked at convenience stores in Milwaukee, drove taxi cabs and paid Haldar from what they earned. 
"This country's immigration system is not for sale, and those who think they can exploit the system for personal gain will pay the price for their crimes," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge for HSI Chicago. 32-year-old Haldar would be deported to India after serving his sentence.

Sagarsen Haldar, aka Gopal Hari Das, spiritual leader of Gaudiya Vaisnava Society (GVS) in Milwaukee, USA,  was charged in June 2010 after Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) special agents arrested him at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago as he arrived in the United States from India. A search of Haldar's luggage revealed that he was transporting identification documents - including passports and other Indian identification documents - bearing the names and photographs of other Indian nationals. Haldar used the GVS temple as a front for an elaborate religious visa fraud scheme. "Visa fraud not only undermines the integrity of our legal immigration process, it also poses a significant security vulnerability," said Hartwig, a US special agent. So long you are a conditioned soul, out of four defects, one of the defects is cheating propensity, vipralipsa. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Prabhupada: The thing is that one who is cheating you, he will cheat in twelve rupees, also he will cheat in fifty rupees.

Aksayananda: Yes, I know.
Prabhupada: He knows how to cheat you.
Aksayananda: Yes, they’re expert.
(...) 

Prabhupada: Cheating is one of the qualifications of the conditioned soul. ... Vipralipsa, vipralipsa. Bhrama, pramada, vipralipsa, karunatmika. So cheating is a qualification of the conditioned soul. Everyone is expert in cheating more or less. That is qualification. People take pride, “Oh, I have cheated. I am so expert that I have cheated.” When the lawyers make some agreement between the two lawyers, simply think “How I can cheat you?. How can I cheat you?” That’s all. The more one lawyer is expert in cheating, he is big lawyer. ... This is the world. Vañcaka-vañci. Whole world is going on, my Guru Maharaja used to say that one is cheater, another is cheated.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Room Conversation in Vrindavana 
September 6, 1976 - 760906rc.vrn 
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

I still can't get over what happened last night

SPOILER ALERT: Contains plot details from last night’s DOWNTON ABBEY

This isn’t so much a post about DOWNTON ABBEY as it is about our attachment to fictional characters. And why drama and storytelling is so powerful.

I’m a fan of DOWNTON ABBEY. It’s rollicking good soap opera fun. Everyone is so mannered and foppish, and Maggie Smith is so droll and amusing. I never felt a strong

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELIJAH WOOD!

He is the leading protagonist in one of the greatest franchises of Hollywood, ever. He is the one who destroyed the ‘ring’ and saved his clan as well as the entire universe from doom in the only fantasy film till date that has won an Academy Award in the Best Motion Picture category, The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King. He is a big man in a tiny frame with oodles of talent. He is none other than Elijah Wood!

Known more popularly the world over as Frodo Baggins, the hobbit of the Shire who undertakes a journey to destroy the ring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood started his career as a child model. He soon landed a role as a child actor in the film, Back to the Future – Part II, and cemented his position as an actor of substance. He soon became a critically acclaimed child actor and got nominated for numerous young artist awards.

But the best was saved for Elijah till he got out of his teens and landed a role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He played the leading role of Frodo Baggins in the trilogy with aplomb, a role that not only changed his career as well as his fortunes forever but also made him a household name across the globe. As Elijah turns 32 today, let us take a quick look at what does the future hold for this talented actor.

Born on the 28^th of January, 1981, the upcoming 12 months seem quite promising for this immensely talented actor. Elijah is likely to remain quite focused as far as his career is concerned, predicts his horoscope. As a result, he might also give his more senior counterparts a run for their money. He might also land up some lucrative offers in the near future, but they will take some time before they bear any fruitful results. So, as per astrology, the stars seem to be in his favour and the future looks pretty bright for this young actor.

Pain Don't Hurt

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Fun little weekend with the ladyfriend Dizzy, after a long week at work (and next week is going to be HELLA longer), yesterday we went to Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge for some Civil War Reenactment. Yup... that's how awesome we are. While there, we did some nice hiking around the beautiful coastline, wandered through the giant hundred-plus year old Fort Point, with volunteers in full regalia. We also asked the volunteers about the reported ghosts in the area... and who was eavesdropping... but a man who runs ghost tours of Pennhurt Penitentary in New Jersey (as seen on EVERYTHING ghost related). "That's cool, we'll have to hit you up if we're in the area. What's your name?" "Just call me Juice." Dig it. Here are some pictures...

This week, I caught a few flicks too. First up was "Ted" starring Marky Mark, Mila Kunis & the voice talents of producer/director Seth MacFarlane. It's the story of  a boy (Wahlberg) who makes a wish as a child for a friend... and of course, Christmas miracle, a teddy bear comes to life & becomes his best friend. The switch is... now it's 25 years later... and the talking bear Ted is still his best friend... and they're both kind of lazy drunken sh*ts... but some how he's got a superhot successful girlfriend (Kunis) but hey, hilarity ensues. I'd say check it out if you're into dirty R-rated humor... but if not, pass.

Next up was "The Descent: Part 2", the obligatory sequel to the successful (and very well done) horror flick "The Descent." In the original, six adventurer ladies go spelunking in the Appalachian mountains... and discover a subterranean race of humans perfectly adapted to the cave dwellings... but are more animal than human now & go on to devour them... spoiler alert, one woman makes it out alive at the end of the first. The sequel picks up from there... she's in a hospital & (of course) can't remember what happened or where the others are (really?). Well, one of the girl's was a senator's daughter or something... so they make her help them to go back into the caves to find her... and yeah, you can kind of guess where it goes from there. It was okay as far as unnecessary sequels go... but yeah, not nearly as well done as the original.

Next up was another obligatory sequel to a rather well done horror flick called "Quarantine 2." Where the original was basically one of those Blair Witch found footage single camera movies about an apartment building being quarantined with a zombie virus, this one was your standard told movie story about a plane (with really hot stewardesses) where one guy gets sick, another guy brings hamsters onto the plane... and the hamsters bit somebody and then there's just a bunch of vomiting & death... this one is really bad... don't even check it out. See the original only.

Thursday night I watched "Double Dare" which is a documentary about stuntwomen starring Jeannie Epper ("Wonder Woman" TV series) and the great Zoe Bell ("Xena", "Kill Bill" & star of "Death Proof"). Basically it talks about the history of stuntwomen... and basically just how badass they are... and chronicles their struggles & follows the path of how the incredible Zoe Bell even has trouble finding work... through the audition process, overcoming injuries, incredible physical conditioning, etc. It's a great documentary if that kind of stuff interests you... and being a bit of a moviefile it certainly did for me. Check it out!

Last night, Dizzy & I watched "Road House" starring Patrick Swayze & Kelly Lynch... while also listening to Adam Carolla's basic cable commentary. Now, I had never seen this movie before... I know, gasp of disbelief. I had seen bits & pieces on TV here & there... but yeah, never watched the whole thing. I just knew the references about ripping out a guy's throat, the tai chi on the beach shot & stupid sh*t like that. Well, it's even more ridiculous than that... but yeah, it's about a bouncer named Dalton (Swayze) who's the best in the business (and they'll never let you forget it) and he's hired by a guy to clean up a bar called the Double Deuce in Jasper, Missouri. Apparently the city is ran by a super corrupt business man... and for some reason, there's nobody that any of the good 90% of the city can turn to... except Dalton... and his fellow bouncer buddy Warren (Sam Elliott). There's a superhot doctor (Lynch) interested in the lead... and there's fight scenes... about a thousand knife wielding rednecks... horrible dialogue... poor plot development... but yeah, it's one of those guilty pleasure movies for sure. I don't mean to rag it that bad... I mean... I love Pootie Tang, how credible of a source does that make me? Anyway, check it out... with friends... and be prepared to laugh at inappropriate times.

That should do it for today. Only a few more days until I go to New Orleans... and I might be able to update before then... but if not... I'll see you after Valentine's Day! Have a great day everybody!!!

MASSIVE LOSS OF LIFE IN BRAZIL NIGHTCLUB FIRE

AT LEAST 245 KILLED

IN BRAZIL NIGHTCLUB FIRE

www.cbsnews.com - A fire swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing at least 245 people and leaving at least 200 injured, police and firefighters said. Police Maj. Cleberson Braida told local news media that the 245 bodies were brought for identification to a gymnasium in the city of Santa Maria. That toll would make it one of the deadliest nightclub fires more than a decade. The cause of the fire is not yet known, officials said.
Civil Police and regional government spokesman Marcelo Arigoni told Radio Gaucha earlier that the total number of victims is still unclear and there may be hundreds injured. The newspaper Diario de Santa Maria reported that the fire started at around 2 a.m. at the Boate Kiss club in the city at the southern tip of Brazil, near the borders with Argentina and Uruguay. Santa Maria is a university city with a population of around a quarter of a million.

The death toll was expected to climb as firefighters continued to pull bodies from the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, said Col. Adilomar Silva, the regional coordinator of civil defense. Most of those killed appeared to have died of smoke inhalation. Hundreds are believed to have been injured, though an exact count was not immediately available. Many people were trampled in the panic to leave the club. Rodrigo Moura, whom the paper identified as a security guard at the club, said it was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000, and partygoers were pushing and shoving to escape.
Ezekiel Corte Real, 23, was quoted by the paper as saying that he helped people to escape. "I just got out because I'm very strong," he said. "Sad Sunday", tweeted Tarso Genro, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. He said all possible action was being taken and that he would be in the city later in the day.

A fire swept through a popular nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing at least 245 people. The blaze broke out during a weekend when students were celebrating the end of summer. Students at many Brazilian universities return to school on Monday. There was a pyrotechnics show going on inside the club when the fire started. Authorities stopped short of blaming it for the blaze, saying the cause was still under investigation. The incident called to mind a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island where pyrotechnics used by the heavy metal band Great White ignited a blaze that killed more than 90 people. Pyrotechnics were also involved in a 2004 night club fire in Argentina that killed 194 people and a 2009 explosion at a night club in Russia that left more than 100 dead. Unfortunately, there is danger in this world at every step and therefore, one can never know when some tragedy will strike.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

It is clearly explained that all planets in the material world - beginning from Brahmaloka down to the hellish planets - are unfit places for a devotee. padam padam yad vipadām na teshām. A place where there is danger at every step is certainly not a comfortable place. The Lord therefore says in Bhagavad-gītā (8.16): ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāh / punar āvartino 'rjuna / mām upetya tu kaunteya / punar janma na vidyate - "From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again." Thus there is no profit, even if one is promoted to the highest planet in the material universe, Brahmaloka. However, if one is somehow or other promoted to the abode of the Lord, he never returns to the material world.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) SB 4.30.18
Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order
Chapter 30: The Activities of the Pracetās
Verse 18 - Bhaktivedanta VedaBase Network 

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

How to memorize scripts -- Part 2

Here’ the final  installment in how actors memorize scripts.  Part 1 was yesterday.  These come from
actors you know. As you’ll see, no two methods are even remotely
similar.

Actor 1:

The
repetition from rehearsals is very helpful. But, of course, on
"Cheers" we had lots of changes. That's why starting in the middle of
the week was so constructive.

I could study during the weekend.

GATORADE TO DROP BVO AFTER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

GATORADE PULLS INGREDIENT 

LINKED TO FLAME RETARDANT

www.chicagotribune.com - Responding to consumer concerns, PepsiCo announced Friday that it will remove brominated vegetable oil, an emulsifier, from citrus-flavored Gatorade sold in the U.S. Mississippi teenager Sarah Kavanagh launched an online petition in November that drew recent media attention, but the company said earlier customer complaints had sparked the reformulation. 
"While our products are safe, we are making this change because we know that some consumers have a negative perception of BVO in Gatorade, despite (it) being permitted for use in North American and Latin American countries," Gatorade spokeswoman Molly Carter said. "We began working on an alternative ingredient to BVO for the few Gatorade flavors that contain BVO, more than a year ago." "When I went to Change.org to start my petition, I thought it might get a lot of support because no one wants to gulp down flame retardant, especially from a drink they associate with being healthy," Kavanagh said.

Some countries, including those in the European Union and Japan, do not allow the use of brominated vegetable oil in food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's last review of the chemical, conducted in the 1970s, called for more toxicological testing that was never performed, and it remains a legal dietary ingredient. Studies on BVO have suggested the chemical can build up in fatty tissues and cause reproductive and behavioral problems in rodents. 
A 2011 article in Scientific American noted that a few patients who binged on soda "have needed medical attention for skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders, all symptoms of overexposure to bromine." Carter said the company spent the year making sure the new Gatorade formulation "would not affect taste or functionality." Carter said BVO will be replaced with sucrose acetate isobutyrate, or SAIB, "one of the flavor emulsifiers we use internationally."

PepsiCo announced that it would no longer use an ingredient in Gatorade after consumers complained. The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, which was used in citrus versions of the sports drink, was the object of a petition started on Change.org by Sarah Kavanaugh, a 15-year-old from Mississippi, USA, who became concerned about the ingredient after reading about it online. Studies have suggested there are possible side effects, including neurological disorders and altered thyroid hormones. "Companies like Gatorade can no longer sit back as thousands of consumers are asking for a change - they're compelled to do something about it," said Pulin Modi, senior campaigner at Change.org. A healthy life is manifested internally and externally. The simple life and high thoughts are the true values of life.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Real life is gratitude toward the supreme truth. A life of truth is really the only thing that we miss. Foods that are full of chemicals, insecticides and other artificial things definitely have undesirable effects. A natural life is one that unites all the elements and maintains them in total harmony, achieving an integral well-being. Such as: Eating natural foods. Preparing the kitchen with love. Eliminating artificial coloring, preservatives, and products. Strengthening our natural defenses with inner and outer cleanliness. Dressing in natural fiber such as cotton. Constructing our homes with natural elements such as adobe, bamboo, straw, and non-poisonous paints. Avoiding jarring noises that hurt our meditative and intellectual capacity. Combatting exploitation dressed up as science and medicine.

Casa de la Sabiduría - House of Wisdom
"Ecology - Natural Way of Life"
http://casadelasabiduria.org/
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/english/advices_eco_natural.htm

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/